Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 336 › Conversation 336-052

Nixon alone in his EOB office on Vietnam War and Address to the Nation

Monday, May 8, 1972 · 6:14 PM–6:22 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation336-052 on Tape 336 (tape position 02:32:22–02:36:53)StartMonday, May 8, 1972 at 6:14 PMEndMonday, May 8, 1972 at 6:22 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 336-052 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with staff to rehearse his upcoming televised address regarding the situation in Southeast Asia. The discussion focused on refining specific policy language concerning the release of prisoners of war, the cessation of military force, and the negotiation process for South Vietnam. These edits were intended to clarify that the administration's announced actions were defensive measures aimed at protecting American troops rather than seeking a surrender.

Audio

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Position in tape: 02:32:22 – 02:36:53

part B, 29:03

336a.mp3
336b.mp3
336c.mp3

NARA Description

On May 8, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:14 pm and 6:22 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 336-052 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 336-52

Date: May 8, 1972
Time: Unknown between 6:14 and 6:22 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President rehearsed his “Address to the Nation on the Situation in Southeast Asia”.

[This is a continuation of Conversation No. 336-34]

[See Public Papers of the Presidents, Richard M. Nixon, 1972, pp. 583-587]

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

So, uh, page 12, there's another line, uh, this is supposed to be the script.
So, uh, page 12, uh, on the page, the actions I ordered, uh, were, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh,
Oh, this doesn't mean anything.
No, it doesn't mean anything.
It's the same thing that gave you this wine.
All right.
That's it.
That's it.
See you over there in a minute.
What's that?
There's a meeting with my part of the leadership.
Rather than the cabinet?
That's it.
The other cabinet will give the television.
The cabinet releases some, you know, the arriving.
Sort of a leader's role, I guess.
The actions I ordered will cease from the following days from now.
First of all, I urge the prisoners of war to be prepared.
Our view of this is that later there will still be degrading conditions for over eight years, violating all rules of their natural rules.
And I implore you to do that.
Second, there must be an action to revise these fighters throughout the time.
Once prisoners of war are released, and once we have an action to revise these fighters begun, we will stop all action for the force to drive them down.
So, strikeout on that page, well, some of our people have used it, but it's a global paragraph.
The wars were released once the United Supervisors' fires began.
They stopped all acts of force throughout China.
At that time, they would receive a decree to withdraw all of their forces from Vietnam and the world.
These are terms which would not require a surrender from the nations of one another.
It would prevent the United States from resolving on it.
It would end the government from not dealing with this war.
It would allow a negotiation on the will of the southern people, the enemies themselves.
It would prevent all nations
I just saw her in the small hall, the kind of last of the 31st of each year.
I'm both in awe of Steve and I, and I'm in awe of myself.
It is very easy to accept that I'm not good enough.
In a book written through my remarks to Marcus Collinsbrook, I said that they were going to teach you to make your parties involved, and train you, and lead you not at all.
First, believe it or not, your people are already starting to mind the key of capitalism.
Do not count how many are hated.
Do not continue their rights.
Choose to set the path of peace and redeem your sacrifice.
Guaranty is true in your past.
Fighters and heroes, direct salvation.
The people of South Vietnam, you shall continue to have our front in support of your resistance against aggression.
It is your spirit that will turn me on from the battle.
It is your will that will shape the future of Vietnam.
You are the veterans, especially those that your allies and partners
The actions that I have announced tonight are not directed against you.
Their sole purpose is to protect the lives of 60,000 Americans who have been raped in the nation.
I demand that the Communist Party continue to rule the world and prevent the imposition of the Communist government and the progression of poverty in the nation.

Also recorded on May 8, 1972

  • 336-041 5:55 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:55 pm and 6:09 pm.
  • 336-049 6:09 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:09 pm to 6:14 pm.
  • 336-050 6:14 PM · 48 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:14 pm and 6:22 pm.
  • 336-051 6:14 PM · 27 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:14 pm and 6:22 pm.
  • 336-053 6:14 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:14 pm and 6:22 pm.
  • 336-054 6:14 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:14 pm and 6:22 pm.
  • 336-055 6:14 PM · 47 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:14 pm and 6:22 pm.
  • 336-056 6:22 PM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:22 pm to 6:34 pm.

All 118 conversations from May 8, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 336-052, May 8, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/336-052 (accessed November 2, 2026).